itsaboat
Well-Known Member
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I thought the offensive gameplan for Dallas was smart. Tampa Bay had been playing great defense over the last month or so getting a lot of turnovers and sacks. We countered with the quick pass. It looked like a west coast offense at times. Dak took 3 steps back, hitch, and got the ball out quick. That helped limit TBs pass rush for most of the game. Dak had a ridiculous completion percentage because of that.
Heading into the game the area that looked most advantageous for Dallas was the run game. Overall, the offensive line was able to get a push on TBs front 4 which opened big holes for Zeke and he responded with another big game. I thought Linehan got too cute with the toss reverse and the jet sweep that both netted big losses. Our offensive line was playing well. We didn't need those kinds of plays.
The run defense played well. One of the reasons why is Sean Lee. When the guys upfront can occupy blockers Lee can really go to work. The speed in which he diagnoses a play and fires to the ball shows his IQ and how much he prepares for each game. He's the one guy on our defense we cannot afford to lose. The depth behind him is such a huge drop it would leave a big hole in the middle of the defense.
It was really impressive what Irving did in the second half of the game. It looked like T.Crawford got hurt early in the 3rd quarter and Marinelli decided to move Irving over to LDE. Irving was playing inside prior to that and wasn't really having a lot of success. We know what happened when he moved outside. I think with his length and athleticism he can overwhelm some guys. Others seem to handle it. I don't think this was a breakout game that some want to believe. You have to remember he was going against a backup RT. I do think Irving is a nice chess piece that Marinelli should experiment with early in game to see if he can find another mismatch because he can play inside or out.
You could argue Irving closed the game out for us with his disruptive play late in the 4th quarter. I’ve been a big fan of our CBs the past few years and argue that they would be one of the best units if they just had a pass rush. This year they took another step forward even without a lot of help from the defensive line but watching them play with Irving getting pressure was everything I thought it could be. If we could get a stud pass rusher, 3T or outside, we would go from having an above average defense to one of the best in the NFL.
The biggest issue was our inability to finish the game. Penalties really hurt and we were forced to kick FGs instead of getting TDs. Because of that we gave TB two opportunities to take the lead late in the game. That won’t cut it in the playoffs. Our defense is not an elite unit so the offense has to help. Sure, we won the game and Dak had nice numbers but you have to finish teams off when those chances arise and we didn’t.
Heading into the game the area that looked most advantageous for Dallas was the run game. Overall, the offensive line was able to get a push on TBs front 4 which opened big holes for Zeke and he responded with another big game. I thought Linehan got too cute with the toss reverse and the jet sweep that both netted big losses. Our offensive line was playing well. We didn't need those kinds of plays.
The run defense played well. One of the reasons why is Sean Lee. When the guys upfront can occupy blockers Lee can really go to work. The speed in which he diagnoses a play and fires to the ball shows his IQ and how much he prepares for each game. He's the one guy on our defense we cannot afford to lose. The depth behind him is such a huge drop it would leave a big hole in the middle of the defense.
It was really impressive what Irving did in the second half of the game. It looked like T.Crawford got hurt early in the 3rd quarter and Marinelli decided to move Irving over to LDE. Irving was playing inside prior to that and wasn't really having a lot of success. We know what happened when he moved outside. I think with his length and athleticism he can overwhelm some guys. Others seem to handle it. I don't think this was a breakout game that some want to believe. You have to remember he was going against a backup RT. I do think Irving is a nice chess piece that Marinelli should experiment with early in game to see if he can find another mismatch because he can play inside or out.
You could argue Irving closed the game out for us with his disruptive play late in the 4th quarter. I’ve been a big fan of our CBs the past few years and argue that they would be one of the best units if they just had a pass rush. This year they took another step forward even without a lot of help from the defensive line but watching them play with Irving getting pressure was everything I thought it could be. If we could get a stud pass rusher, 3T or outside, we would go from having an above average defense to one of the best in the NFL.
The biggest issue was our inability to finish the game. Penalties really hurt and we were forced to kick FGs instead of getting TDs. Because of that we gave TB two opportunities to take the lead late in the game. That won’t cut it in the playoffs. Our defense is not an elite unit so the offense has to help. Sure, we won the game and Dak had nice numbers but you have to finish teams off when those chances arise and we didn’t.
